Brazilian President Rousseff holds lead ahead of October elections

BRASILIA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff maintains her lead among presidential candidates with just three months to go before general elections in October.

Rousseff, who is running for a second term, keeps her lead, with 38 percent support among voters, Thursday's edition of daily Folha de Sao Paulo reported, citing a survey by polling firm Datafolha.

Rousseff's main rivals included Senator Aecio Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), who had favor of 20 percent of the voters, and former Pernambuco state governor Eduardo Campos, of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), who managed 9 percent support of the voters.

A previous survey by Datafolha, released at the beginning of June, showed Rousseff with 34 percent support, trailed by Neves and Campos with 19 percent and 7 percent of support, respectively.

The poll also gauged how Brazilians feel about the World Cup now that the games are underway. The ratio of people who said they were in favor of Brazil hosting the sporting event rose from 51 percent in the previous poll to 63 percent, while the ratio of those who felt proud of hosting the event rose from 45 percent to 60 percent.

Government spending on the event sparked mass protests last summer, but the change in attitude toward the games may have also influenced voter support for the government, and improved Rousseff 's chances at reelection, the pollster said.

In an instant survey, in which respondents were asked who they would vote for, without being given the names of the candidates, Rousseff's share of support also rose from 19 percent to 25 percent.

Even if no candidate garners a 50 percent majority vote and a runoff is needed, Rousseff would easily defeat both Neves and Campos, according to the poll.

Datafolha surveyed 2,857 people in 177 cities between July 1-2.

Some 140 million voters are eligible to participate in the Oct. 5 general elections for president, as well as state governors, deputies and senators. A runoff would take place Oct. 26.